RUSSIA TOLD U.S. IN 2011 THAT ONE OF THE BOSTON SUSPECTS MIGHT BE RADICAL -- MAUREEN DOWD on guns: 'There were ways to get 60 votes' - ELSA WALSH on motherhood -- NEW DUPONT STORE -- Ken Duberstein b'

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MAUREEN DOWD, “No Bully in the Pulpit: Why doesn’t 90% of America equal 60 senators?” by Maureen Dowd: “President Obama has watched the blood-dimmed tide drowning the ceremony of innocence, as Yeats wrote, and he has learned how to emotionally connect with Americans in searing moments, as he did from the White House ... after the second bombing suspect was apprehended in Boston. Unfortunately, he still has not learned how to govern. ... [H]e doesn’t know how to work the system. And it’s clear now that he doesn’t want to learn, or to even hire some clever people who can tell him how to do it ... No one on Capitol Hill is scared of him. ... He chooses not to get down in the weeds and pretend he values the stroking and other little things that matter to lawmakers. ... After the Newtown massacre, ... as usual, he took his foot off the gas, lost momentum and confided his pessimism to journalists.

“When you go into a fight saying you’re probably going to lose, you’re probably going to lose. ... Couldn’t the president have given his Rose Garden speech about the ‘shameful’ actions in Washington before the vote rather than after? There were ways to get to 60 votes. The White House just had to scratch it out with a real strategy ... Obama hates selling. He thinks people should just accept the right thing to do. ... The president said the Newtown families deserved a vote. But he was setting his sights too low. They deserved a law.” http://nyti.ms/17PNYgE

BOSTON AFTERMATH – QUESTIONS FOR D.C.:

--“Interrogators wait to query wounded bomb suspect,” by AP’s Bridget Murphy and Kate Zezima in Boston: “[T]he American Civil Liberties Union and a federal public defender raised concerns about investigators' plan to question 19-year-old Dzhokhar Tsarnaev without reading him his Miranda rights. ... U.S. officials said an elite interrogation team would question the Massachusetts college student without reading him his Miranda rights, something that is allowed on a limited basis when the public may be in immediate danger, such as instances in which bombs are planted and ready to go off. ACLU Executive Director Anthony Romero said the legal exception applies only when there is a continued threat to public safety and is ‘not an open-ended exception’ ... The federal public defender's office in Massachusetts said it has agreed to represent Tsarnaev once he is charged.”

--“Privacy vs. security: Boston frames surveillance debate,” by Steve Friess and Jessica Meyers: “Eyes in the sky — cameras that keep tabs on possible red-light runners, peer out at ATM users and stand sentry for commercial businesses — provided investigators key intelligence that led to identifying suspects in the attack. A department store camera held the much-viewed footage released by the FBI. The developments have once again pitted personal rights against public safety. Politicians at every level — from the sheriff in Tampa to members of Congress — are urging the deployment of more surveillance and law enforcement access to captured material. ... Security cameras began popping up in American subways and on government buildings en masse soon after the Sept. 11 attacks and have remained a point of controversy since. But they’ve become background noise in places like London, which pioneered the installation of public cameras to fend off IRA attacks. Israel has had systems in place for years.” http://politi.co/13GzwaZ

--WashPost A1, “SECURITY: Vulnerabilities persist in a post-9/11 world,” by Greg Miller and Scott Wilson, with Ernesto Londoño and Dana Priest: “So far, there have been no calls for a major addition to the nation’s counterterrorism infrastructure [after the Boston blasts], in part because it is difficult to identify a realistic measure that might have prevented the attacks. Instead, U.S. officials and counterterrorism experts said that, while the bombings may lead to incremental changes in efforts to secure such events, they exposed the limits of the extraordinary defenses erected over the past 12 years. The United States has spent billions of dollars on counterterrorism efforts ... , an investment that has accomplished much of its aim. Overseas operations have pushed al-Qaeda to the brink of collapse ... But the Boston bombings highlighted a lingering vulnerability that officials consider impractical, if not impossible, to eliminate. It centers on small-scale plots carried out by individuals who are unlikely to surface on federal radar. They rely on devices made from common ingredients such as gunpowder, nails and a pressure cooker. They target public gatherings where security resources are stretched. ...

“If there are connections [with the Boston suspects] to Islamist militant groups, ... the Obama administration could expand intelligence-gathering efforts overseas, as well as widen surveillance and screening measures in the United States. But such measures would likely be controversial and far from foolproof. If, however, the Tsarnaev brothers carried out the bombings with no foreign assistance, the administration’s policy options may be more limited. National security and legal experts note that the United States has endured violence committed with relatively small-size explosive devices for decades, attacks carried out by radical groups with ideologies that span the political spectrum. ... [Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.), a former federal prosecutor and member of the House Intelligence Committee] said the bombings may trigger new debate over whether surveillance systems such as Boston’s should be expanded, whether spy agencies should focus more resources on regions such as Chechnya and whether the United States needs to examine how it integrates disaffected immigrants.” http://wapo.st/XY6KQX

THE INVESTIGATION – N.Y. Times 2-col. lead (ital.), “BOMBING INQUIRY TURNS TO MOTIVE AND RUSSIA TRIP: 2012 Visit by One of the Brothers Is a Possible Key to the Boston Attack,” by Eric Schmitt and Michael S. Schmidt in D.C., and Ellen Barry in Moscow: “Federal investigators are hurrying to review a visit that one of the suspected bombers made to Chechnya and Dagestan, predominantly Muslim republics in the north Caucasus region of Russia. Both have active militant separatist movements. Members of Congress expressed concern about the F.B.I.’s handling of a request from Russia before the trip to examine the man’s possible links to extremist groups in the region. Tamerlan Tsarnaev, who died ... after a shootout ... , spent six months in Dagestan in 2012 ... The significance of the trip was magnified late Friday when the F.B.I. disclosed in a statement that in 2011 ‘a foreign government’ — now acknowledged by officials to be Russia — asked for information about Tamerlan.

“The request was ‘based on information that he was a follower of radical Islam and a strong believer, and that he had changed drastically since 2010 as he prepared to leave the United States for travel to the country’s region to join unspecified underground groups.’ The senior law enforcement official said the Russians feared he could be a risk, and ‘they had something on him and were concerned about him, and him traveling to their region.’ ... But the F.B.I. never followed up on Tamerlan once he returned, a senior law enforcement official acknowledged on Saturday, adding that its investigation did not turn up anything and it did not have the legal authority to keep tabs on him.” http://nyti.ms/ZcU5cE

MASSACHUSETTS GOV. DEVAL PATRICK (D), to Bob Schieffer on CBS’s “Face the Nation,” on whether he fears “any fear of political backlash” from the lockdown: “I think people understood that we were making decisions in the face of a rapidly developing investigation and that we were making them in the best interests of people's public safety ... So, the main focus that the outset was in Watertown and the neighborhood of the gunfight on Thursday night, and then we had reasons to expand that to Boston proper based on leads that the investigators were following. But I can tell you in the aftermath when the suspect was taken into custody and yesterday morning as people were coming out, the sense of relief and gratitude for law enforcement, whose lead I was following, was palpable. So I think there won’t be political backlash and frankly I'm not thinking about that, anyhow.”

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ELSA WALSH, on the cover of WashPost Outlook, “A woman’s quest for the ‘good enough’ life: Journalist Elsa Walsh says the work-life balance debate focuses on work and misses out on life” (adapted from a speech, “Notes to My Daughter: On Being a Woman,” that Walsh delivered at St. Mary’s College of Maryland, on April 5, when she accepted an award for contributions to women: “When it is time for my daughter to make her way through this culture of overwork, ... I will tell her to work hard and take a seat at the table, speak up and, of course, always negotiate her salary. But I will also tell her to set her own course ... I will remind her of the time when she was barely 2 years old and ready for her first real Halloween. I thought I had the perfect outfit for her — hand-embroidered Chinese silk pajamas in turquoise and matching slippers with gorgeous feathers — until her father took her to Kmart, where she bounded over to a red Teletubby getup. I balked when they brought home the cellophane package. ‘In her own image,’ her dad gently told me. I keep a smiling photo of her in that costume on the table next to my bed as a reminder. ...

“I’ll also tell her to make time for herself. Unplug from the grid. Carve out space for solitude. Search for work you love that allows flexibility if you want to have children. And if you do, have them when you’re older, after you’ve reached that point in your career when you are good enough at what you do that you will feel comfortable dialing back for a while. Don’t wait until it’s too late to start planning, because no one else is going to do it for you. And don’t quit completely because, as wonderful as parenthood is, it cannot and will not be your whole life. Learn how to manage conflict, because the greater the level you can tolerate, the more freedom you will retain. Making compromises is a healthy approach to living. ... For a woman to say she is searching for a ‘good enough’ life is not failure — it is maturity and self-knowledge. I’d also tell her, if she marries, to work hard on her relationship. It’s not only much easier than getting divorced, it’s more rewarding and more fun. Love. Full stop. That’s what matters. ... Motherhood is not a job. It is a joy.” http://wapo.st/17EBjds

OPENING TODAY IN DUPONT: Washington’s culinary, political and media scenes gathered yesterday to celebrate the opening of Glen’s Garden Market, a locally sourced grocery and café in Dupont Circle at the corner of 20th and S streets, NW (former “Secret Safeway”). Glen’s, named for the late father of founder Danielle Vogel (married to POLITICO’s Ken Vogel), opens to the public today at 12:30 p.m., after a ceremonial beer toast. The market features produce, meats, poultry, dairy products, specialty foods and beer and wine from the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. Chef Sean Sullivan (formerly of The Hamilton) will be curing meats and whipping up sandwiches, salads, soups and pizzas. Last night, his team served hors d’oeuvres-sized samples, including house-made short rib hot dogs with Gordy’s Pickle Jar hot chili spears, and bison pastrami sandwiches with Bigg Riggs spicy beer mustard. Alexandria’s Port City Optimal Wit flowed from the taps and the “wine vending machine” poured Charlottesville’s Blenheim Vineyards Red Table Wine. www.glensgardenmarket.com ... @GlensGardenMkt

BEYOND THE BELTWAY – L.A. Times cols 1-2, “USC PRICE/L.A. TIMES POLL: Garcetti opens 10-point lead over Greuel: A month before mayoral runoff, likely voters favor councilman over controller by 50% to 40%,” by Michael Finnegan: “Eric Garcetti has opened a commanding 10-point lead in the Los Angeles mayor’s race over rival Wendy Greuel, whose dogged fight to win the backing of public employee unions appears to be undercutting her on her home turf in the San Fernando Valley, according to a new USC Price/Los Angeles Times poll. A month before the May 21 runoff, ... [t]he survey ... found no sign of success for Greuel’s effort to gain an edge among women by highlighting her potential to make history as the city’s first female mayor. Women preferred Garcetti, 50% to 41%. Latinos and younger voters backed Garcetti by still wider margins. The city councilman from Silver Lake has strengthened his standing in the central city and Eastside neighborhoods that he won decisively in the March primary. He has also built a solid lead on the Westside — a key target of Greuel’s.”

MEDIAWATCH – N.Y. Times A1, below fold, “Conservative Koch Brothers Turning Focus to Newspapers,” by Amy Chozick: “Koch Industries, the sprawling private company of which Charles G. Koch serves as chairman and chief executive, is exploring a bid to buy the Tribune Company’s eight regional newspapers, including The Los Angeles Times, The Chicago Tribune, The Baltimore Sun, The Orlando Sentinel and The Hartford Courant. By early May, the Tribune Company is expected to send financial data to serious suitors ... Koch Industries is among those interested, said several people with direct knowledge of the sale ... The papers, valued at roughly $623 million, would be a financially diminutive deal for Koch Industries, the energy and manufacturing conglomerate based in Wichita ... Politically, ... the papers could serve as a broader platform for the Kochs’ laissez-faire ideas.

“The Los Angeles Times is the fourth-largest paper in the country, and The Tribune is No. 9, and others are in several battleground states, including two of the largest newspapers in Florida, The Orlando Sentinel and The Sun Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale. A deal could include Hoy, the second-largest Spanish-language daily newspaper, which speaks to the pivotal Hispanic demographic. ... At this early stage, the thinking inside the Tribune Company, the people close to the deal said, is that Koch Industries could prove the most appealing buyer. Others interested, including a group of wealthy Los Angeles residents led by the billionaire Eli Broad and Ronald W. Burkle, both prominent Democratic donors, and Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation, would prefer to buy only The Los Angeles Times.” http://nyti.ms/11rCPyR

HOWARD FINEMAN and AMY NATHAN celebrate 29 years today. They were married at an art gallery in D.C. during Reagan's first term. They picked the date because Pennsylvnia Dems had created a three-week break in the ’84 campaign (Howard’s first for Newsweek) by moving up their presidential primary.

CONGRATULATIONS to Lily, Lucy and Nora Schuurman on their baptism today in Norfolk.

DESSERT – L.A. Times A1, below fold, “New signs of life on the Strip: In Vegas, unemployment is down and tourism — and hope — are up,” by John M. Glionna in Las Vegas: “ The metropolitan area's 9.8% unemployment rate, while still above the national average of 7.6%, plummeted from 12.1% just a year ago — the fastest improvement among major cities nationwide. As much as $2 billion is earmarked for additional hotel-casino refurbishment on the Strip, including the transformation of the old Sahara site into another upscale casino — SLS Las Vegas. ... Last month, Caesars Entertainment unveiled its $550-million Linq project, a dining-shopping-entertainment district that will feature the Vegas High Roller, a 550-foot-tall Ferris wheel that will be the world's largest. MGM Resorts International also announced plans last month to build a 20,000-seat indoor sports and events arena behind the Monte Carlo and New York-New York casinos. Meanwhile, the city's sagging downtown is being buoyed by entrepreneur Tony Hsieh's redevelopment plan to create a high-tech Internet hub. ...

“Last year, a record 39.7 million visitors arrived. Gambling revenue on the Strip in February was $696 million, the largest single-month total ever. The metropolitan area's population finally topped 2 million residents, following years of minimal gain ... Even home sales are soaring. The average price of an existing home in southern Nevada has reached just under $130,000, a 30% rise over this time last year ... Six out of every 10 homes in Las Vegas remain underwater — a statistic that leads the nation — meaning homeowners owe the banks more than their properties are worth. ... Las Vegas still leads the nation in convention and trade show volume — holding more conventions than New York and Chicago combined ... — but tourists aren't spending as much. Five years ago, the average visitor spent $750 per trip on nongaming activities, a figure that has dropped to $673 per trip.” http://lat.ms/ZcNkHP

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Send to a friendRUSSIA TOLD U.S. IN 2011 THAT ONE OF THE BOSTON SUSPECTS MIGHT BE RADICAL -- MAUREEN DOWD on guns: 'There were ways to get 60 votes' - ELSA WALSH on motherhood -- NEW DUPONT STORE -- Ken Duberstein b'